Bed covers

[theskytoucher]

Has anyone here made a bed cover out of plywood and covered it with material of some sort for there truck?? Cause the other day my dad and i got to talking about making one that fit down flush with the top of the bed rails and was just wondering if anyone has done this before!!

[FORDification]

Not yet....but that's exactly what I plan on doing with the choptop. I figured I'd run some 1" angle iron around the perimeter of the box and then drop plywood down on top of that. I haven't quite decided yet what kind of covering it'll have...I'm stilling giving that some thought.

[theskytoucher]

cool!!!! i figured somebody had thought about it!!!! The way we were thinking to hinge it is so the it folds into an "A frame" towards the cab so the hinges arent showing!!!

[wt4speed#2]

I new a guy that had a really clean '68 lwb cheby and he found a place that worked on refer trailers. He found out when they would be reflooring a refer and talked them out of enough of the end pieces that were long enough to cover his bed . I'm not sure how he attached it at the front. But he used air cylinders to lift it with an old lincoln air pump for the rear . The pieces snap lock together (simular to the newer pergo floors like they sell at home depot and such)and then he welded it long ways down the seams from the under side. It was clean looking and not really that heavy( he used the compressor and shock mainly as a theft deterrent with the shocks deflates if you didn't know how to release them there was no pull that lid up) and it was hell for strong you could walk on it like a stage.

[Tim P.]

You could always do it in fiberglass resin with a lightweight wood frame say basswood is light and strong with 1/4" luan plywood for the side forms maybe talk to a boat supply place for referals to this process or on the net. Another idea is an aluminum channel frame with a bow truss design like the old style look of the wood bows and cover it in a high quality vinyl or check with a store front awning company they would fab a frame for you and heavy type canvas attached to it in any color and when it wears out just order a new cover canvas for it hech they last 10to 20 yrs if kept cleaned and a good uv portectant on it from time to time just care for it like you would do for the paint on your truck. Buy a couple high quality piston rods for like the mini vans with the large heavy rear hatch doors for lifting it up.

[SmokeyBear]

I built one for my 89 ranger when I was just out of high school. I went to a furniture upholstery place nearby and purchased some black vynil (same as what they use on soft tonnoe covers) and then I got a couple of sheets of 1/2 plywood. Since the bed was 6 foot I cut both 4x8 sheets down to fit the width of the bed and the one nearest the cab was cut to 2 feet length. I put a piano hinge in the middle so that I'd only have to lift the 4 foot section and then covered the whole thing in thin cotton batting, then covered it with the vynil. I attached a dowel rod to the section that opened so I could prop it up when opened. I then bolted the front of the cover to the bedside with L brackets and used more L brackets bolted to just the bedside near the tailgate to hold up the foldable section. I had it on my truck for about two years before I traded it off and never had any problems.

[customcrewcab]

i started on one before i had to start putting money in my 86 f150. i have 40' of 1/2 by 1/2. its about 16 bucks for a 20 foot stick. i think the sheet of metal is going to be around 80 bucks. i think it should be around 65 pounds but my bed is very short.

[FormerMarine1981]

I was planning to make my own cover out of wood. Was going to use
1" X 6" boards and coat them like they do the tables at Hooters. I believe it a resin but I'm not sure.